Spatiotemporal source analysis in scalp EEG vs. intracerebral EEG and SPECT: a case study in a 2-year-old child

Objective: This case study aims to demonstrate that spatiotemporal spike discrimination and source analysis are effective to monitor the development of sources of epileptic activity in time and space. Therefore, they can provide clinically useful information allowing a better understanding of the pathophysiology of individual seizures with time- and space-resolved characteristics of successive epileptic states, including interictal, preictal, postictal, and ictal states.

Methods: High spatial resolution scalp EEGs (HR-EEG) were acquired from a 2-year-old girl with refractory central epilepsy and single-focus seizures as confirmed by intracerebral EEG recordings and ictal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Evaluation of HR-EEG consists of the following three global steps: (1) creation of the initial head model, (2) automatic spike and seizure detection, and finally (3) source localization. During the source localization phase, epileptic states are determined to allow state-based spike detection and localization of underlying sources for each spike. In a final cluster analysis, localization results are integrated to determine the possible sources of epileptic activity. The results were compared with the cerebral locations identified by intracerebral EEG recordings and SPECT.

Results: The results obtained with this approach were concordant with those of MRI, SPECT and distribution of intracerebral potentials. Dipole cluster centres found for spikes in interictal, preictal, ictal and postictal states were situated an average of 6.3mm from the intracerebral contacts with the highest voltage. Both amplitude and shape of spikes change between states. Dispersion of the dipoles was higher in the preictal state than in the postictal state. Two clusters of spikes were identified. The centres of these clusters changed position periodically during the various epileptic states.

Conclusion: High-resolution surface EEG evaluated by an advanced algorithmic approach can be used to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of sources located in the epileptic focus. The results were validated by standard methods, ensuring good spatial resolution by MRI and SPECT and optimal temporal resolution by intracerebral EEG. Surface EEG can be used to identify different spike clusters and sources of the successive epileptic states. The method that was used in this study will provide physicians with a better understanding of the pathophysiological characteristics of epileptic activities. In particular, this method may be useful for more effective positioning of implantable intracerebral electrodes.